The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb

The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic BombNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Magisterial A stunning account that brings to the fore the nuclear saga's surreal combination of ingenuity, fate, and terror." Publishers Weekly (starred review) "If you are an intelligent person, or at the very least think you are, you have to read The Devil Reached Toward the Sky This period in history has never been more relevant and frightening than it is today." James Patterson "Comprehensive and engrossing Excellent

On the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, the Pulitzer Prize finalist whose work is "oral history at its finest" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) delivers an epic narrative of the atomic bomb's creation and deployment, woven from the voices of hundreds of scientists, generals, soldiers, and civilians.

The building of the atomic bomb is the most audacious undertaking in human history: a rush by a small group of scientists and engineers in complete secrecy to unlock the most fundamental power of the universe. Even today, the Manhattan Project evokes boldness, daring, and the grandest of dreams: bringing an end to World War II in the Pacific. As Marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen fight overseas, men and women strive to discover the atom's secrets in places like Chicago, Berkeley, Oak Ridge, Hanford, and Los Alamos. On August 6, 1945, the world discovers what the end of the war--and the new global age--will look like.

The road to the first atomic bomb ends in Hiroshima, Japan, but it begins in Hitler's Europe, where brilliant physicists are forced to flee fascism and antisemitism--bringing to America their determination to harness atomic power before it falls into the F